


first of so many things

by Thealmostrhetoricalquestion



Category: Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types, Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare, Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Alec Lightwood Deserves Nice Things, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Fluff, It's just cute, M/M, Malec, that's all
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-09
Updated: 2016-05-09
Packaged: 2018-06-07 10:40:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6800416
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thealmostrhetoricalquestion/pseuds/Thealmostrhetoricalquestion
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"You're being dramatic," Alec said fondly, unsurprised. "Again." </p><p>“I think a little drama can be forgiven,” Magnus said, mock-indignantly, conjuring a cocktail glass out of mid-air with an elegant flick of his fingers. There was a little paper umbrella floating inside it, an alarming shade of yellow, and Magnus fished it out and pointed it threateningly in Alec's face. “Considering I almost choked to death during what should have been an intimate, <em>sensual</em> experience.”</p><p>(Five times that Magnus wins an argument and one time that they both sort of win.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	first of so many things

**Author's Note:**

> I have no idea what universe this is in! But it's Magnus and Alec and beyond that there really isn't that much plot, so there you go, I guess it doesn't matter. It's basically just lots of fluff and love and blehhh, that's all. I hope you enjoy!
> 
> ComputerGecko did some absolutely lovely, hilarious art for this fic, and you can find it here:
> 
> https://twitter.com/SaiJordison/status/921535199908913154
> 
> Thank you so much!

1) Television

“This isn’t a negotiation,” Magnus said firmly, hands on his hips. “I watch that awful monstrosity that you mistakenly like to call ‘good television’ every Saturday, so you can sit through a few hours of hell for me.”

Alec rolled his eyes. “Adventure Time is not a monstrosity. You’re the one who suggested watching it in the first place.”

Magnus waved a dismissive hand, his rings glinting the bright glare of the lamp. “That was merely supposed to be background noise. You were supposed to be focused on me, not that ridiculous cartoon.”

“I _was_ focused on you,” Alec protested. “I’m always focused on you, especially when you’re doing … Well, things like _that_.” He hated that he still couldn’t bring up the subject of sex without fumbling his words or blushing, but Magnus loved it, found it amusing and sweet, apparently. “It’s just that you were on your knees, so I could easily see over your head, and the television was right there. I’d never watched a cartoon before.”

“Yes, well,” Magnus said primly, mouth twitching at Alec’s plaintive tone. “Forgive me if I continue to take it as an offense to my skills.”

“It wasn’t that bad, Magnus.”

“You _laughed_ during a _blowjob_ , Alexander. Hysterically, I might add. I might as well have been fellating a hyena.”

There was a pause. Alec blinked up at Magnus, who winced and muttered, “Poor choice of words, perhaps.”

“That’s horrible,” Alec said solemnly, and then his mask broke and he started to snicker, hiding his face behind one of the many glitzy throw pillows that littered the couch. He couldn’t even _look_ at Magnus without laughing.

“It’s not funny,” Magnus insisted, but there was a fond look in his eye as he watched Alec laugh, and a wry twist to his mouth that was pleasant to look at. Even after a month of being together, it still sent the butterflies fluttering, every time Magnus so much as skimmed his eyes over Alec.

“Stop laughing,” Magnus said exasperatedly. “You’re giving me flashbacks.” He gave into a grin eventually, reached down to grab a cushion and thwack Alec over the head with it. Alec caught it, pulled it against his chest easily, grinned up at his boyfriend.

“It _was_ funny,” Alec said. “Both times.”

“Nobody should be laughed out of giving a blowjob, Alexander. It ruins a man’s ego.”

“You’re being dramatic,” Alec said fondly, unsurprised. That was what he liked about Magnus, the drama and glamour and excitement he brought to Alec’s life. He sank back against the couch cushions and said, “Again.”

“I think a little drama can be forgiven,” Magnus said, mock-indignantly, conjuring a cocktail glass out of mid-air with an elegant flick of his fingers. There was a little paper umbrella floating inside it, an alarming shade of yellow. “Considering I almost choked to death during what should have been an intimate, sensual experience.”

“Isn’t choking usually a risk?” Alec asked innocently, although he couldn’t quite hide a smirk.

Magnus narrowed his eyes, fished the little umbrella out of his drink and pointed it threateningly in Alec’s face. “Not with me. I have class _and_ skill, as you very well know. And as if all that weren’t enough, on top of that dollop of humiliation and trauma, I now have to spend my Saturday mornings watching ridiculously bright cartoons instead of quality entertainment.”

“Not every Saturday,” Alec reminded him. He knew Magnus was going to win this argument, and he didn’t care – the other man went out of his way constantly to make Alec happy, and Alec enjoyed returning the favour when he could, liked knowing that he could please Magnus, even if it was with significantly smaller moments and actions.

He didn’t even want to watch Adventure Time, it just happened to be on, and there was something about mundane culture that amused him. Plus, Magnus wasn’t really mad, and Alec was comfortable and warm and had nowhere to be, and that seemed like a perfect excuse to spend the day figuring out how close he could get to his boyfriend.

“Only because you’re usually off slaughtering demons on the other Saturdays, and other such delicate matters,” Magnus says airily, gesturing with his glass. Alec noted with amusement that not a single drop of alcohol was spilled. He squinted, and _yes_ , there was definitely something sparkly inside the glass.

He didn’t know why he was surprised, really.

“Even your wine is glittery,” Alec muttered distractedly, a little impressed.

“It’s Prosecco, and don’t change the subject.”

Alec gave in gracefully. “Fine, fine. We can watch whatever awful film you’ve picked out.” He reached for the remote, spent a solid minute trying to remember how it worked in order to change the channel, and then yelped slightly as it vanished from his hands in a coil of smoke. A new, shinier, bigger television set appeared in front of them in a flurry of sparks. Alec spared a moment to shoot Magnus a disapproving stare, but the warlock simply grinned and settled himself on the couch.

“Excellent decision, darling,” Magnus said cheerfully, settling his feet in Alec’s lap and finding one of his hands, tangling their fingers together loosely. “You’ll love this, I promise. Pretty Woman is a classic. Prosecco?”

 

2) Lightbulbs

Alec woke to a completely dark room. The bedroom curtains were drawn closed, blocking out the city, and the light was off, and the bedside lamp, when Alec groped for it, was inexplicably gone. It wasn’t actually a surprise, since Magnus had a habit of introducing new pieces of furniture to the apartment every few hours, and sometimes he forgot to conjure up the stuff that they actually needed, like a _sink_ , once.

He sighed and abandoned his quest for the lamp. He wasn’t sure what had woken him, and for a moment he remained where he was, lying half under the covers with Magnus Bane draped across his chest like a rather lithe, naked shawl. Alec was tempted, briefly, to simply drift back off to sleep; he didn’t get nights like this often, since both of them worked and Alec’s parents still got all tight and uppity every time he came back to the Institute in the morning. It would have been nice to just enjoy the moment, maybe stroke Magnus’s hair a bit, kiss his hands like he was partially too afraid to do in the day.

Unfortunately, he became aware of one awful, horrible thing – he had to piss. Desperately.

Groaning internally, Alec eased himself out of bed. Magnus shuffled, made a small noise in his throat, and then rolled over, still fast asleep. Alec sighed in relief and then took a moment to grab his boxers from where Magnus had banished them with quick fingers, and attempted to put them on in the dark. It should have been easy – by the Angel, he was a _Shadowhunter_ , he was supposed to be _graceful_ , but it was also three in the morning and everything was pitch black.

He pitched sideways, staggering and slammed his foot down on something sharp. Pain flared on his foot and he hissed, reeling off a long list of swear words, teeth clenched together as he hopped around, clutching his foot.

Magnus slept on peacefully.

Alec glanced down, squinting until he realised that it was one of Magnus’s high heels, tipped sideways, the dark red one with the little buckle.

Alec kicked the offending article away, wincing as it thumped into the dresser and started to limp across the room. He tried to be quiet, to no avail. Magnus’s room was a minefield of accessories: belts snaked across the floor; jackets had been folded up gracefully and then placed in piles on the floor because there was no room in the walk-in wardrobe; bottles of nail polish that had spilled free of their cases; make-up of all kinds and colours and brands sat in boxes everywhere; and brightly coloured scarves littered the ground like toxic snakes, warning Alec away. Alec didn’t need to be told twice.

Alec picked his way through it all, barefoot and squinting in the pitch blackness, trying hard not to make a noise.

He made it to the bathroom without breaking an ankle, and sighed in relief. He pulled the door quietly closed and then reached for the light, flicking the switch. There was a sputtering sound, a faint hiss, and then the bulb flickered once and died.

Alec released another plethora of swear words. It was a _magic_ apartment, with state-of-the-art fucking _everything_ and an ever-changing interior. No expense was spared, _except_ , apparently, on the lightbulbs. This wasn’t even the first time this had happened. Magnus was a powerful genius, but he was also an idiot that got so distracted by his new couch or dining table that he forgot that the house needed sinks and lamps and _lightbulbs_.

Luckily, this meant that Alec had some experience with using the bathroom in the dark.

“I need to start leaving my Witchlight here,” he muttered to himself.

He headed to the sink to wash his hands, his fingers fumbling blindly along the shelf for soap. It still smelled faintly of Sandalwood from their shower earlier, and Alec breathed in through his nose, felt something shift in his chest contently; this was where he wanted to be, where he always wanted to be.

He changed his mind a second later, when he stood on something sharp that rolled underneath his foot. The green mat snagged under it, and Alec tipped head-first into the bath, grabbing hold of the shower curtain _and_ the shelf on the way down. He yelped loudly, and then swore, as the whole shelf crashed down on top of him with a noise like the earth cracking in two. There was a crash, a clatter and slam, and Alec twisted in mid-air, landing on his ass in the bath, legs sprawled over the edge, with bottles and lotions and conditioner raining down over him.

Light flooded the room, and Alec blinked, momentarily blinded.

Magnus skidded to a halt in the doorway. He was half-asleep still, his hair sticking up adorably on one side, and he was completely naked. Alec tilted his head to the side appreciatively, still dazed, still lying in the empty bath. A bottle of hand cream slid off of his head.

Magnus’s mouth twitched. “Alexander, darling. It’s three in the morning. Is now really the time for a shower?”

“I just couldn’t wait,” Alec said, deadpan. “I _fell_ , Magnus.”

A poorly-stifled grin spread across Magnus’s face. “I can see that. The question is, why were you in here in the dark?”

“I was trying not to wake you up,” Alec said, rolling his eyes. “And then the light blew anyway, because _somebody_ spends all his money and magic on clothes and high heels, rather than necessary things, like _lightbulbs_.”

He said _high heels_ the way one might say _incest_ , or _autopsy_ , and Magnus actually started to laugh then, trying to cover it up with one manicured hand, despite the way his shoulders were shaking.

“By the Angel,” Alec said exasperatedly. “You could at least pretend to care. I almost broke my neck on your stupid red heel because it was _dark_ , and the beside-fucking-lamp has mysteriously disappeared, again, and you’re _laughing_.”

Magnus bent at the waist, laughing so hard that Alec was momentarily concerned for his health. “I’m sorry, sweetheart, it’s just –”

“I look ridiculous?” Alec offered drily, when Magnus choked on his words. A little bit of embarrassment crept into his tone, and he tried to hide it by attempting to get up.

The shower burst to life, and Alec yelped again as warm water rained down on him.

Magnus was there, all of a sudden, pushing Alec further into the bath. He was grinning, still, but the laughter was gone as he stared at Alec intently.

All of the embarrassment drained from Alec, and he flushed red. Magnus had this way of looking at him, all intense, and it usually stole all of the air from Alec’s body, left him embarrassingly weak-kneed. Tonight was no different.  

Magnus waved his hand again, and all of the little bottles disappeared, banished to the bedroom, probably. Alec glanced up and had to laugh as Magnus attempted to clamber into the bath as well, half-crushing him. They both ended up sprawled on top of each other, and Alec grinned up at Magnus’s frown.

“That was a bit more seductive in my head,” Magnus said, shrugging. “Although, it got me this close to you, so I suppose it worked out quite pleasantly.”

Alec snorted. “Can you please fix the lightbulb?”

Magnus’s smile widened. “Why would I do that, when it gets me results like this?”

Alec sighed, angled his head out of the spray of the shower, and promptly forgot his argument as Magnus kissed him soundly.

Maybe Magnus had a point. _Maybe_.

(“I stepped on one of Clary’s high heels the other day,” Jace groused. “She hardly ever wears them, but the _one_ pair that she owns, I managed to step on.”

“High heels are the clothing equivalent of Lego bricks,” Simon said brightly, poking at a Seraph blade with an intrigued, child-like expression. Jace reached out and drew the blade away warily, tucking it into a pocket on his belt and ignoring Simon’s disgruntled expression. Alec didn’t even know why the vampire was there, but he expected that it had something to do with Izzy.

“They hurt like hell,” Jago agreed.

“Tell me about it,” Alec grumbled over his cup of coffee.

Jago looked at him oddly. “What would you know about high heels?”

Alec rolled his eyes. “You don’t have to be a girl to wear high heels, Jace.”

Jace’s eyes went huge and wide. “You mean, uh, you …?”

Alec sighed exasperatedly. “Not _me_. _Magnus_. He leaves them everywhere.”

“Good. I’m glad it’s not you.”

Alec glanced up at him sharply, about to invent several extravagant lies about his nightlife and how high heels were just like slippers to him now, when Jace nodded seriously.

“You’re tall enough already. Any taller and I’ll have to ring up an Angel and ask them to make a rune that can shrink people.”)

 

 

3) Takeout

Magnus couldn’t cook. He had mastered many things over the years – yodelling, the art of navigating a pogo-stick over a very narrow, rickety bridge, how to piss off a vampire, all of which were admirable achievements, but cooking had never been on his to-do list.

Well, it had, but the attempts had mostly failed.

Alec, on the other hand, could cook. He had to – Isabelle was beautiful and terrifying, and she cooked like she was trying her absolute hardest to poison the people she loved. Maryse didn’t have the time, and Jace was emphatically not interested in anything that wasn’t demons, and Clary, later on. So Alec had learned. Quietly, without letting people know, without much of a fuss, but he had learned all the same.

“It just seemed like something that might give it away, you know?” Alec said, over lasagne one night. Magnus chewed each bite with a look of utter bliss on his face, and Alec couldn’t help but feel proud. “Being gay, I mean. Things like cooking and knitting –”

“You knit?” Magnus looked surprised, but not disgusted, or derisive. Not that Alec thought he would be, but he hadn’t even meant to tell Magnus, so it was natural for fear to invade his mind for a moment.

“We get through a lot of clothes, with all the fighting. I learned to sew, and then I just carried on learning, really.” Alec shrugged. It wasn’t a big deal.

Magnus watched him for a moment, took another bite of lasagne and winked at Alec, joining their hands across the table.

“I like scarves.”

Alec laughed, shook his head and laced their fingers together, and promised to work on one for Christmas.

The point, though, was that Alec liked to cook. He liked cooking at Magnus’s apartment, because there was room and nobody was going to bumble in and accuse him of being homosexual – Magnus might, but it would be less of an accusation and more like gratitude (he had quite literally looked Alec in the face once and whispered, “Thank God you’re gay.”)

He didn’t like cooking when he was tired.

He also refused to be beaten by a pot of stew.

Glaring, Alec poked a wooden spoon in the mess of gravy and lumpy dumplings. There was food all over the sides and he had gravy on his cheek, and his clothes were stained, but it was almost dinnertime, and he was going to finish this meal if it _killed_ him.

“As much as I admire the view, I think maybe you should come away from the cooker, darling, before you burn the place down.”

“I’m _not_ going to burn the place down,” Alec insisted, slamming the lid back down on the pot and turning the temperature up with an irritated flick of his wrist.

“Alexander, love.”

Dark hands wrapped around his waist, squeezing. Magnus propped his chin over Alec’s shoulder, that he could just about reach on tip-toe, and kissed his ear. Alec felt himself melt back into his boyfriend’s hold grudgingly.

“We could get takeout.”

“We always get takeout,” Alec said, tipping his head to the side so that Magnus could kiss his way up Alec’s throat.

“We do,” Magnus agreed. “Do you know why? Because it’s delicious. And because you couldn’t have more abs if you tried, which means you’re allowed to eat as much crap food as you like, since you’ll simply burn it off in the morning.”

“And you love takeout,” Alec added, fumbling his words slightly. “It’s unhealthy.”

Magnus bit down on Alec’s pulse point like it would win him the argument and Alec shivered, groaning.

“Pretty please?” Magnus murmured quietly. “I don’t like seeing you all worked up.”

“Liar,” Alec said, and Magnus chuckled, breath fanning over the shell of Alec’s ear. Alec let his head drop back against Magnus’s shoulder and reached out blindly to turn the stove off, fingers fumbling against the dial. Magnus flicked his hand, and suddenly they were on the couch, the kitchen cleaner than a whistle.

Magnus settled himself in Alec’s lap and grinned wickedly.

“You dial,” Magnus said, handing Alec the phone and arching one eyebrow. “I’ll do all of the work.”

 

 

 

4) Phone

Alec was crouched in an alleyway, grimacing down at his mud-soaked gear. There was water everything, spraying from a burst pipe that stuck out of the stone wall, and the ground was filthy anyway, but now the dirt and muck swirled along the cobblestones.

Izzy made a disdainful sound and clambered gracefully on top of a dumpster, perching there like a sharp-eyed bird of prey, hungrily eyeing the demons that had gathered at the other end of the alley. Jace was in the fray, gleefully swinging his blade at anything that moved, and Alec had taken a quick break because his _phone was ringing_ , loudly and insistently, trilling out a song that Alec didn’t know, but that seemed to have an obsession with candymen.

“Are you hurt?” Alec demanded, flipping the phone open and ducking as a limb flew past him, oozing black ichor. Jace whooped loudly, and Alec repressed a sigh.

_“Iced coffee or tea, darling?”_

Alec yanked the phone away from his ear to stare at it incredulously.

_“Darling?”_

Alec flipped the phone shut and shoved it in his pocket, just as a demon shot down the alley, clicking its pincers menacingly. Izzy vaulted off of the dumpster and flicked her whip at the same time, coils of gold wrapping itself around the demon’s neck and squeezing, until it popped off with a sickening sound and a garbled cry.

Alec stood up, seraph blade shining, and then cursed under his breath as his phone rang again, even louder this time. He could ignore it, but he knew Magnus would just keep ringing until he answered. He supposed it wasn’t his boyfriend’s fault – he was on a routine patrol that was supposed to end in five minutes, and he wasn’t supposed to be fighting a swarm of demons in a dank alleyway.

“Alec,” Izzy yelled, and Alec swung his blade up, catching a creeping, serrated limb and tearing it away with one swipe. The demon snarled, hot, rank breath fanning over his face, and Alec brought the blade back up and finished the job quickly. Izzy flashed him a smile.

“Your phone is ringing. I didn’t know you liked Christina Aguilera.”

“I don’t,” Alec ground out, although he had to admit it was a bit catchy. Then he groaned – he’d end up humming it absent-mindedly and Magnus would be _delighted_.

“Magnus, this isn’t really the best time for this,” Alec said, a little desperately, into his phone.

“Arrows would be helpful right about now,” Jace yelled, sprinting towards them. He skidded to a stop and stared at Alec, incredulous. “Are you on the _phone_? What, demon hunting too boring for you these days?”

Alec flipped him a rude gesture and then fumbled for his bow and arrow, holding his phone between his ear and shoulder.

“Magnus, this really isn’t a good time.”

_“I only asked if you wanted iced coffee, love. Why, is there something more exciting going on?”_

“You could say that,” Alec laughed. He almost dropped the phone as he drew back an arrow and let it fly. It embedded itself in a demon’s eye and the thing sprawled on the ground.

“Go up and around,” Alec said, but Jace was already moving, grinning as he swung himself up the wall of a building, finding impossible handholds in the stone and moving with assured grace. Izzy bumped Alec’s shoulder as she slunk past, resuming her position on the dumpster and using her whip to take down the smaller monsters. Alec let another arrow fly and then adjusted his phone.

“I’ll call you later, okay? And by the by, iced coffee shouldn’t exist. Why were you asking?”

There was no reply, and Alec glanced at his screen to see that Magnus had hung up.

“Unbelievable,” he muttered, just as the remaining three demons burst into blue flames.

Magnus stood at the end of the alley, smoke billowing around him. Of course he had to make it the most dramatic entrance in history, standing there with two to-go cups in his hands, blue sparks skating up his bare arms. He grinned at Alec sharply, and then Jace dropped down from the sky, a disgruntled look on his face.

“I was looking forward to killing them,” Jace said mildly.

“Did I step on your moment?”

“I don’t know how, considering those look more like torture instruments than shoes.”

He pointed at Magnus’s boots, which did look rather excessive. Alec grinned.

“Centuries of practice will ensure that I never trip again,” Magus said smoothly, and then he walked around Jace and headed for Alec, wrinkling his nose at the muck and dirt on the floor.

“For future reference, alleyways aren’t really my thing,” Magnus said. He handed Alec one of the cups and then leaned in to kiss him on the mouth, lips sweet and cold. “But I’ll make an exception for you, love.”

Izzy smirked. “Sweet.”

Magnus spared her a fond glance. “Isabelle, darling, you look as angelic as ever.”

Izzy grinned back, waved her fingers and then climbed down off of the dumpster, hitching up her skirt. She looked as clean and well put together as ever, and Alec was, as always, awed at how the two of the most important people in his life managed to keep their make-up impeccable whilst fighting demons.

“Enjoy your date,” Izzy said, and then linked arms with Jace, dragging him out of the alley. “Don’t do anything we wouldn’t do!”

“But that leaves so much open,” Jace protested lightly, and Alec heard them laugh as they disappeared out onto the busy street.

“I got you black coffee, since iced coffee shouldn’t exist,” Magnus said.

Alec snorted, took a sip. “You win.”

“Win what?”

“I have no idea,” Alec said, laughing. “But you win.”

 

 

5) Sleepover 

Their relationship worked, even with the jobs they both kept. Alec spent his free nights at Magnus’s apartment, which was steadily becoming a second home to him. Magnus never really went to the institute, but they went out together, to quaint little cafés and dark bars and for walks, alongside lakes that Alec didn’t know existed. Sometimes Alec would get to the apartment, and Magnus wouldn’t be there, and Alec would hesitate before letting himself in and sitting on the couch – he had a key, even though Magnus never really locked the door, and he was allowed to do whatever he wanted and let himself in at any time, but something inside him still protested at the idea of being there when Magnus wasn’t.

Usually, he only stayed if Magnus was going to be back the same night. Sometimes, work drew Magnus away, and he ended up portalling to the other side of the world or spending the night in a hotel somewhere, in an attempt to please his clients.

Alec didn’t mind. He definitely didn’t resent Magnus for it – the other man worked hard, did his job and helped people who needed it, and Alec would never begrudge him that. He was proud, actually. And his own work kept him busy at times, too, so he understood.

Tonight was one of those nights, though.

Alec let himself in with his key after a moment’s hesitation outside. He fed Chairman, who wound himself around Alec’s legs and yowled, purring loudly when Alec petted him with a grin.

“You’re as demanding as your owner,” Alec told him fondly, and Chairman purred once more before strolling away, head in the air. Alec snorted, pocketed his keys and then carefully lay his jacket over the back of the chair. It was still Magnus’s house, after all, and as much as Alec loved it here, it wasn’t quite the same without Magnus there, playing music or muttering over a book or summoning coffee.

Alec settled on the couch, and then got up immediately, heading to the kitchen instead. He drummed his hands over the surfaces, restless but tired, and hummed over the coffee maker before deciding against it.

“Stop being stupid,” Alec murmured to himself, a little self-deprecating, and then he shook himself and headed for the bedroom instead, scooping up the Chairman on the way and kicking off his shoes.

He collapsed on the bed and something flipped inside him, like a switch. Groaning happily, he bundled up beneath the covers, breathing in the scent of sandalwood and fresh linen and something that was undeniably Magnus. He sank into the mattress with a pleased sigh

He didn’t remember falling asleep, but when he woke up, Magnus was standing, frozen, in the bedroom doorway, something achingly painful in his eyes. Alec wanted to wipe away the sadness – it didn’t belong here, in the quiet and calm, but it was as much a part of Magnus as his charm and humour.

Alec mumbled blearily, untucked a hand and held it out to Magnus, who moved forward slowly.

“Well aren’t you a sight for sore eyes,” Magnus said softly. “If I could keep you in my pocket, like this, I would.”

Alec blushed and then shook his head, tugging on Magnus’s hands. “How was work?”

“Long and tedious, as usual,” Magnus said, keeping his voice careful and low as he sat on the edge of the bed. It took a while for him to unlace his shoes and his shirt, and Alec revelled in the warm, domestic feel of it. God, if he could have this, every day for the rest of his life, he’d die quite happily.

He told Magnus that, murmured it into the air, and watched Magnus go still with surprised awe.

"Your honesty always surprises me," Magnus said, kissing Alec's knuckles. "I love that about you."

“I love you too," Alec yawned. What time is it?”

Magnus winced. “Midnight, I think. Sorry, love, I didn’t mean to wake you.”

Alec groaned and pulled the covers up over his head. “I’ve got practice in the morning, and Mum wants to see me. I should get back to the Institute.”

Magnus made a thoughtful noise. “You could always leave in the morning. Early in the morning.”

Alec peeked over the top of the cover.

“Or you could call in sick,” Magnus suggested innocently, waggling his eyebrows.

Alec groaned. God, he was going to have to get up at the crack of dawn unless he called in sick, and even if he did that he'd have to put up with his Isabelle's smirk and Mayrse's disapproving smirk - it wasn't so much Magnus that she disapproved of, but she wasn't about to let him corrupt her dutiful son when it came to Shadowhunter responsibilities. On the other hand, this was Magnus, and honestly, Alec already knew he wasn't going anywhere tonight.

"I hear you have to stay in bed all day if you're sick."

“But what would we do all day?” Alec asked drily, and Magnus grinned and shifted closer, blanketing Alec with his body.

“I have a few ideas.”

 

 

+1) Worry

“Alec.”

“Mmph.”

“Alexander.”

“Hmm.”

“ _Alexander Gideon Lightwood_.”

Alec’s pillow was ripped away from his face. He blinked for a moment, disorientated, staring at the bright ceiling. There was light everywhere, too much of it, too bright, despite the dim nature of the Institute and the fact that there curtains were cold. In the back of his head, a little voice whispered that he could tell instantly that he wasn’t at Magnus’s home, where he felt comfortable. Magnus’s house was never cold. It was also never this shockingly bright.

He glanced around. Someone had rudely turned on all of the lights, even the dusty little lamp that Alec never used. There were bright white orbs floating along the edges of the ceiling, glowing like fat fireflies, and several large floor-lamps were scattered around his room as well, floor-lamps that Alec emphatically did not own, floor-lamps that definitely did not belong in the Institute. Alec collapsed back against his remaining pillow; he had never felt more glaringly unprepared for morning before.

Magnus Bane was undoubtedly the brightest thing in the room. He was also seething with anger, although anyone else wouldn’t be able to tell. When Magnus was pissed, he let it show, with big blue swirls of light and hissing sparks and scathing commentary. When he was angry, though, especially around Alec, the anger turned inward and sat beneath his skin.

“I realise,” Magnus began, in a voice that was supposed to be airy and light but fell flat, “that you have a very busy schedule. I also realise, darling, that being a Shadowhunter requires just an ounce of mystery. Shadowhunter’s in general, but you in particular, seem to be somewhat removed from mundane habits, but one would think that you would have worked out how to operate a mobile phone by now.”

Alec blinked at him stupidly. “What?”

He skimmed his eyes over Magnus and his gaze sharpened. Magnus looked different. Subtly different, but still noticeable to Alec. His shirt was a turquoise colour, which clashed ever so slightly with his dyed hair, and two of the buttons on his soft, embroidered suit jacket had been done up wrong. His eyeliner, as ever, was perfectly flawless, but there was no gloss on his lips. Alec’s stomach flipped over slightly, worry and confusion clogging his throat.

“What’s wrong?” Alec asked again, more urgently this time.

Magnus made an exasperated sound. “Your phone, Alexander. The little device you carry around for the purpose of calling people, people like your boyfriend, who was waiting in a very snug little diner for you.”

Alec pushed himself up onto his elbow and rubbed his cheek where he’d been lying on it. _Angel_ , he’d slept like the dead. And then Magnus’s words registered and he shoved himself out of bed with a slight groan; his muscles were surprisingly still aching.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured, cracking his jaw as he rose to stand. “I meant to text last night and let you know I was fine. You do know that someone would have phoned you if something was wrong though, right? Isabelle has your number. You didn’t have to worry.”

“I will always worry about you,” Magnus snapped tightly, catching Alec off guard, and then all the tension drained out of Magnus, his shoulders sagging. Magnus waved a hand airily, as if to dismiss his previous anger, and Alec caught it. Magnus watched him keenly as Alec held his hand, smoothing his thumb over his knuckles, and then sighed.

“I know your delightful sister would have called eventually,” Magnus said. “Although you Shadowhunter’s tend to get caught up in your battles, so I’m never sure whether I’ll get a call when or after I’m actually needed. And despite all of that, I would still much rather hear it from you, Alexander. Preferably before I’ve spent thirty minutes in a diner in my best clothes.”

Alec hovered a little awkwardly in front of Magnus. The other man made him more comfortable than anyone ever had, made him feel like he fit in his skin instead of stretching it too tight, filling up more space than he should, more space than he deserved to. But that didn’t erase a lifetime of feeling just a little bit wrong and awkward, especially not in a month, and Alec had never had a boyfriend before. He had never had a _relationship_ before that wasn’t platonic, and the fact was, sometimes he still wasn’t sure what to do or say.

Regardless of that, he was pretty sure that a better apology was in order here, as well as a promise not to do it again.

“I forgot,” Alec said, quiet and a little awkward, still. His free hand went to Magnus’s shoulder, his fingers playing along the seam of his jacket. It felt like velvet, but it looked like silk. “I really am sorry, Magnus. It was supposed to be just a routine scouting trip, but we ran into some new demons, and they spat poison at my quiver. I ran out of arrows pretty quickly, and one of them jumped me.”

Magnus’s eyes widened. His hand gripped Alec’s tightly, and he said lowly, “You were hurt?”

“Just a few bruises and scrapes,” Alec said immediately, shrugging off his concern even as it warmed his stomach. It wasn’t quite true; there had been a bit more than a scratch, and Magnus definitely realised it. “Jace did a couple of Iratzes, but I was still kinda beat. I fell asleep pretty much as soon as I got in. Must have slept through my alarm, too.”

Magnus studied him for a second, and then the last dregs of fear drained from his eyes, leaving Alec with a stunning view of amber and black. “I suppose I’ll let you off, this time then. Since you were out of commission.”

“I’m still sorry,” Alec said seriously.

Magnus shook his head fondly. “And I still worry. I will always worry about you, Alexander.”

“The feeling is mutual,” Alec assured him, skimming his hand along Magnus’s shoulder and up, cupping the back of his neck. Alec was significantly taller than Magnus, which meant he had to lean down every time they tried to kiss standing up, but Alec didn’t mind, even when it gave him a crick in the neck. It was well worth it.

“I’m very glad to hear that,” Magnus whispered lowly, lips brushing against Alec’s in a teasing way, tentative enough that heat sparked in Alec’s stomach.

“Of course, I’m still going to have to fuse your phone to your hand,” he said matter-of-factly. “And then we’re going to have the most embarrassingly extravagant breakfast humanly possible to make up for the missed one.”

Alec grinned fondly, then winced as he glanced around his room again. “Aren’t the lamps punishment enough? They look _expensive,_ Magnus.”

Magnus paused, waved a hand at the lamps, and Alec watched with relief as they disappeared. He raised a questioning eyebrow at the warlock, grateful for the shadows that doused them.

“I saw you sleeping, and I was feeling petty,” Magnus said, shrugging.

Alec laughed. “So, was the pettiness enough of a punishment?”

Magnus nipped Alec’s bottom lip and grinned rather wickedly. “Nope. Just a little warning.”

Alec groaned and laughed at the same time, tugging Magnus closer. “ _You_ should come with a warning label. A big, sparkly one.”

Magnus’s answering laugh made him smile, all the way down to his toes.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think? Please be kind, this is my first time writing these two! e_e  
> Thanks so much!  
> You can find me @thealmostrhetoricalquestion on tumblr, or @cococranberries on Twitter.


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